Show may refer to:

Show (fair), an fair

Show (animal), a judged event in the hobby of animal fancy

* Conformation dog show

* Cat show

Dog and pony show, an American idiom

''Mr. Show'', a sketch comedy series

Show, a 3G telecommunication service of Korea Telecom

Bloody show, a term used in labour medicine

A television program

A theatrical production

A concert

A radio program

A trade fair

Showtime (TV network)

Show (magazine), a men's magazine

Le Show, a Californian public radio program

Music

''Show'' (The Cure album), 1993

''Show'' (After Crying album), 2003

''Show'' (The Jesus Lizard album), 1994

People

;Surname

Eric Show (1956 – 1994), American baseball pitcher

Don Shows (born 1940), American football coach

Ronnie Shows (born 1947), American politician

;Given name

Show Hayami (born 1958), Japanese voice actor

Show Luo (born 1979), Taiwanese singer–actor

See also

The Show (disambiguation)

es:Espectáculo fr:Show it:Show (disambigua) lv:Šovs nl:Show ps:ننداره tr:Show

name	Dick Van Dyke
birth name	Richard Wayne Van Dyke
birth date	December 13, 1925
birth place	West Plains, Missouri, U.S.
nationality	American
occupation	Actor, comedian, producer, writer, singer
years active	1955–present
spouse	Margie Willett (1948–1984) (divorced), 4 children Arlene Silver (2012–present)
partner	Michelle Triola (1976–2009) (her death)
home town	Danville, Illinois
residence	Malibu, California
television	''The Dick Van Dyke Show''''Diagnosis: Murder''
children	Christian Van DykeBarry Van DykeCarrie Beth Van DykeStacy Van Dyke
relations	Jerry Van Dyke (brother)Shane Van Dyke (grandson)
awards	Disney Legend (1998) }}

Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke and father of Barry Van Dyke. Van Dyke starred in the films ''Bye Bye Birdie,'' ''Mary Poppins'' and ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' and in the TV series ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' and ''Diagnosis: Murder''. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Blvd.

Life and career

Early and personal life

Van Dyke was born in West Plains, Missouri, to Loren (nickname "Cookie") and Hazel (born McCord) Van Dyke, but he grew up in Danville, Illinois. He is the older brother of actor Jerry Van Dyke, who is best known for his role on the TV series ''Coach.'' His grandson, Shane Van Dyke, is also an actor, and directed ''Titanic II''. He is of Dutch descent on his father's side. His mother, as a ''Mayflower'' descendant, is of English extraction but also carries additional Scottish ancestry.

During World War II, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps where he became a radio announcer and served in Special Services entertaining troops in the Continental United States. While Van Dyke appeared at the Chapman Park Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, he and the former Margerie Willett were married on the radio show ''Bride and Groom'' in 1948. They had four children: Christian (Chris), Barry, Carrie Beth, and Stacy. They divorced in 1984 after a long separation. He lived with longtime companion Michelle Triola for more than 30 years until her death in 2009. Van Dyke's son Barry Van Dyke and grandsons Shane Van Dyke and Carey Van Dyke are also actors; both of these last two, along with other Van Dyke relations and grandchildren, appeared in various episodes of the long-running series ''Diagnosis: Murder.'' All of Van Dyke's children are married, and he has seven grandchildren. His son Chris was district attorney for Marion County, Oregon in the 1980s. In 1987, his granddaughter Jessica Van Dyke died from Reye's Syndrome, which drove him to do a series of television commercials to raise public awareness of the danger of aspirin to children. In 2010, he said he had once been rescued from drifting out to sea and possible death by a pod of dolphins.

On February 29, 2012, Van Dyke married make-up artist Arlene Silver, 40. They had met six years previously at the SAG awards.

Radio and stage career

During the late 1940s, Van Dyke was a radio DJ in Danville, Illinois. In 1947, Van Dyke was persuaded by Phil Erickson to form a comedy duo with him called "Eric and Van—the Merry Mutes." The team toured the West Coast nightclub circuit, performing a mime act and lip synching to old 78 records. They brought their act to Atlanta, Georgia, in the early 1950s and performed a local television show featuring original skits and music called "The Merry Mutes".

In November 1959, Van Dyke made his Broadway debut in ''The Girls Against the Boys''. He then played the lead role of Albert Peterson in ''Bye Bye Birdie'', which ran from April 14, 1960 to Oct 7, 1961. In a May 2011 interview with Rachael Ray, Van Dyke noted that when he auditioned for a smaller part in the show he had no dance experience, and that after he sang his audition song he did an impromptu soft-shoe out of sheer nervousness. Gower Champion, the show's director and choreographer, was watching, and promptly went up on stage to inform Van Dyke he had the lead. An astonished Van Dyke protested that he could not dance, to which Champion replied "We'll teach you". That musical won four Tony awards including Van Dyke's Best Featured Actor Tony, in 1961. In 1980, Van Dyke appeared as the title role in ''The Music Man'' on Broadway.

Television career

Dick Van Dyke's start in television was with WDSU-TV New Orleans Channel 6 (NBC), first as a single comedian and later as emcee of a comedy program. Van Dyke's first network TV appearance was with Dennis James on James' ''Chance of a Lifetime'' in 1954. He later appeared on ''The Phil Silvers Show'' in the 1957–1958 season. He also appeared early in his career on ABC's ''The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom'' and NBC's ''The Polly Bergen Show''. During this time a friend from the Army was working as an executive for CBS television and recommended Van Dyke to that network. Out of this came a seven year contract with the network. During an interview on NPR's ''Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!'' program, Van Dyke said he was the anchorman for the CBS morning show during this period with Walter Cronkite as his newsman.

Van Dyke starred in the situation comedy ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' on CBS from 1961 to 1966, in which he portrayed a comedy writer named Rob Petrie. Originally the show was supposed to have Carl Reiner as the lead but CBS insisted on recasting and Reiner chose Van Dyke to replace him in the role. Complementing Van Dyke was a veteran cast of comic actors including Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Jerry Paris, Ann Morgan Guilbert, and Carl Reiner (as Alan Brady), as well as television newcomer Mary Tyler Moore, who played Rob's wife, Laura Petrie. Van Dyke won three Emmy Awards as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and the series received four Emmy Awards as Outstanding Comedy Series.

From 1971 to 1974, Van Dyke starred in an unrelated sitcom called ''The New Dick Van Dyke Show'' in which he starred as a local television talk show host. He received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance but the show was less successful than its predecessor, and Van Dyke pulled the plug on the show after just three seasons. In 1973, Van Dyke voiced his animated likeness for the October 27, 1973 installment of Hanna-Barbera's ''The New Scooby-Doo Movies,'' "Scooby-Doo Meets Dick Van Dyke," the series' final first-run episode. The following year, he received an Emmy Award nomination for his role as an alcoholic businessman in the television movie ''The Morning After'' (1974). Van Dyke revealed after its release that he had recently overcome a real-life drinking problem. That same year he guest-starred as a murdering photographer on an episode of ''Columbo.'' Van Dyke returned to comedy in 1976 with the sketch comedy show ''Van Dyke and Company,'' which co-starred Andy Kaufman and Super Dave Osborne. Despite being canceled after three months, the show won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy-Variety Series. When Carol Burnett's main foil, Harvey Korman, quit Burnett's long-running variety series in 1977 Van Dyke took his place. This was the first time he had ever played second banana on television and there were few comic sparks between Van Dyke and Burnett. He left after three months. For the next decade he appeared mostly in low-rated TV movies. One exception was an atypical role as a murdering judge on the first episode of the TV series ''Matlock'' in 1986 starring Andy Griffith. In 1989, he guest-starred on the NBC comedy series ''The Golden Girls'' portraying a lover of Beatrice Arthur's character. This role earned him his first Emmy Award nomination since 1977.

His film work affected his TV career: the reviews he received for his role as D.A. Fletcher in ''Dick Tracy'' led him to star first as the character Dr. Mark Sloan in an episode of ''Jake and the Fatman'', then in a series of TV movies on CBS that became the foundation for his popular television drama ''Diagnosis: Murder.'' The series ran from 1993 to 2001 with son Barry Van Dyke co-starring in the role of Dr. Sloan's son Lieutenant Detective Steve Sloan. Also starring on the same show was a familiar daytime soap actress, Victoria Rowell, as Dr. Sloan's pathologist/medical partner, Dr. Amanda Bentley, and an unfamiliar character actor and lifelong Van Dyke fan, Charlie Schlatter, in the role of Dr. Sloan's handsome, resident student, Dr. Jesse Travis. Van Dyke continued to find television work after the show ended, including a dramatically and critically successful performance of ''The Gin Game'', produced for television in 2003 that reunited him with Mary Tyler Moore. In 2003 he portrayed a doctor on ''Scrubs''. A 2004 special of ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' titled ''The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited'' was heavily promoted as the first new episode of the classic series to be shown in 38 years. Van Dyke and his surviving cast members recreated their roles; the program was roundly panned by critics. In 2006 he guest-starred as college professor Dr. Jonathan Maxwell for a series of ''Murder 101'' mystery films on the Hallmark Channel.

Film career

Van Dyke began his film career by playing the role of Albert J. Peterson in the film version of ''Bye Bye Birdie'' (1963). Despite his unhappiness with the adaptation—its focus differed from the stage version— the film was a success. That same year, Van Dyke was cast in two roles: as the chimney sweep Bert, and as Mr. Dawes Senior, the chairman of the bank in Walt Disney's ''Mary Poppins'' (1964). For his scenes as the chairman, he was heavily costumed to look much older, and was credited in that role as "Nackvid Keyd" (at the end of the credits, the letters unscramble into "Dick Van Dyke"). Van Dyke's attempt at a cockney accent has been decried as one of the worst accents in film history, cited as an example by actors since as an example of how not to sound. In a 2003 poll by ''Empire'' magazine of the worst-ever accents in film, he came in second. According to Van Dyke, his accent coach was Irish, who "didn't do an accent any better than I did." Still, ''Mary Poppins'' was successful upon release and its enduring appeal has made it one of the most famous films of all time. "Chim Chim Cher-ee", one of the songs that Van Dyke performed in ''Mary Poppins'', won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the Sherman Brothers, the film's songwriting duo.

Many of the comedy films Van Dyke starred in throughout the 1960s were relatively unsuccessful at the box office, including ''What a Way to Go!,'' ''Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.,'' ''Fitzwilly,'' ''The Art of Love,'' ''Some Kind of a Nut,'' ''Never a Dull Moment,'' and ''Divorce American Style.'' But he also starred (with his native accent, despite the English setting) in the successful musical ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' (1968), which co-starred Sally Ann Howes and featured songs by the Sherman Brothers, and choreography by Marc Breaux and Dee Dee Wood. The Sherman Brothers, Breaux, and Wood were also songsmiths and choreographers for ''Mary Poppins''.

In 1969, Van Dyke appeared in the comedy-drama ''The Comic,'' written and directed by Carl Reiner. Van Dyke portrayed a self-destructive silent-film era comedian who struggles with alcoholism, depression, and his own rampant ego. Reiner wrote the film especially for Van Dyke, who often spoke of his admiration for silent film era comedians such as Charlie Chaplin and his hero Stan Laurel. Twenty one years later in 1990, Van Dyke, whose usual role had been the amiable hero, took a small but villainous turn as the crooked D.A. Fletcher in Warren Beatty's film ''Dick Tracy.'' Van Dyke returned to motion pictures in 2006 with ''Curious George'' as Mr. Bloomsberry and as villain Cecil Fredericks in the Ben Stiller film ''Night at the Museum.'' He reprised the role in a cameo for the sequel, ''Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'' but it was cut from the film. It can be found in the special features on the DVD release.

Other projects

Van Dyke received a Grammy Award in 1964, along with Julie Andrews, for his performance on the soundtrack to ''Mary Poppins''. In 1970 he published ''Faith, Hope and Hilarity: A Child's Eye View of Religion'' a book of humorous anecdotes based largely on his experiences as a Sunday School teacher. Van Dyke was principal in "KXIV Inc." and owned 1400 AM KXIV in Phoenix (later KSUN) from 1965 to 1985. KXIV was at one time an applicant for an FM station in the same area.

As an a cappella enthusiast, Van Dyke has sung in a group called "The Vantastix" since September 2000. The quartet has performed several times in Los Angeles as well as on ''Larry King Live'', The First Annual TV Land Awards, and sung the national anthem at three Los Angeles Lakers games including a nationally televised NBA Finals performance on NBC. Van Dyke was made an honorary member of the Barbershop Harmony Society in 1999.

Van Dyke became a computer animation enthusiast after purchasing a Commodore Amiga in 1991. He is credited with the creation of 3D-rendered effects used on ''Diagnosis: Murder'' and ''The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited''. Van Dyke has displayed his computer-generated imagery work at SIGGRAPH, and continues to work with LightWave 3D. In 2010, Van Dyke appeared on a children's album titled ''Rhythm Train,'' with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and singer Leslie Bixler. Van Dyke raps on one of the album's tracks.

Filmography

Films

''What a Way to Go!'' ''The Art of Love (1965 film) ''Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.'' ''Divorce American Style'' ''Never a Dull Moment (1968 film) ''Some Kind of a Nut'' ''Cold Turkey (film) ''Tubby the Tuba (1975 film) ''The Runner Stumbles'' ''Dick Tracy (1990 film) ''Walt - The Man Behind the Myth'' ''Batman: New Times'' ''Curious George (film) ''Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian''

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Film	Role	Notes
1963 in film	1963	Bye Bye Birdie (film)>Bye Bye Birdie''	Albert F. Peterson
rowspan="2"	1964	|	Edgar Hopper
''Mary Poppins (film)	Mary Poppins''	Bert/Mr. Dawes, Senior
1965 in film	1965	The Art of Love'' ||	Paul Sloane/Toulouse aka Picasso
1966 in film	1966	|	Lt. Robin Crusoe	Laurel Awards>Laurel Award for Male Comedy Performance
rowspan="2"	1967	|	Richard Harmon
''Fitzwilly''	Claude R. Fitzwilliam
rowspan="2"	1968	Never a Dull Moment'' ||	Jack Albany
''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (film)	Chitty Chitty Bang Bang''	Caractacus Potts
rowspan="2"	1969	|	Fred Amidon
''The Comic''	Billy Bright
1971 in film	1971	Cold Turkey'' ||	Rev. Clayton Brooks
1976 in film	1976	Tubby the Tuba'' ||	Tubby the Tuba	Voice
1979 in film	1979	|	Father Brian Rivard
1990 in film	1990	Dick Tracy'' ||	D.A. Fletcher
2001 in film	2001	|	Narrator/himself	Voice
2005 in film	2005	|	Commissioner Gordon	Voice
rowspan="2"	2006	Curious George'' ||	Mr. Bloomsberry	Voice
''Night at the Museum''	Cecil Fredricks
2009 in film	2009	|		Scenes deleted*

*Note: Although he is not seen in the regular release of ''Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'', Dick van Dyke's work can be seen in the "Deleted Scenes" section of the film's DVD, along with Bill Cobbs and Mickey Rooney.

Television

''CBS Cartoon Theater'' ''To Tell the Truth'' ''The Phil Silvers Show'' ''The Chevy Showroom Starring Andy Williams'' ''Mother's Day'' ''Laugh Line'' ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' ''Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman'' ''Dick Van Dyke Meets Bill Cosby'' ''The New Dick Van Dyke Show'' ''The New Scooby-Doo Movies'' ''Julie and Dick at Covent Garden'' ''Van Dyke and Company'' ''The Carol Burnett Show'' ''Supertrain'' ''True Life Stories'' ''The Country Girl'' ''CBS Library'' ''American Playhouse'' ''Strong Medicine'' ''Ghost of a Chance'' ''The Van Dyke Show'' ''The Golden Girls'' ''Daughters of Privilege'' ''The House on Sycamore Street'' ''The Town That Santa Forgot'' ''Diagnosis: Murder'' ''Becker (TV series) ''Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series) ''A Town Without Pity'' ''The Gin Game'' ''The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited'' ''Murder 101'' ''The Bonnie Hunt Show'' ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' ''Rachael Ray (TV series)

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Show	Role	Notes
1955–56	''The Morning Show''	Host
1956	|	Host
1956–57	|	Panelist	5 episodes
1957–58	|	Pvt. Lumpkin / Pvt. 'Swifty' Bilko	2 episodes
1958	|	Himself
1958–59	|	Host
1959	|	Host	Canceled after 3 months
1961–66	|	Rob Petrie	Emmy Award for: Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Series (1964), Outstanding Individual Achievements in Entertainment (1965), Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series (1966)
1969	|	Himself	Special (with Mary Tyler Moore)
1970	|	Himself	Special
1971–74	|	Dick Preston	Nominated: Golden Globe Award for Best TV Actor – Musical/Comedy
1973	|	Himself	Voice
rowspan="3"	1974	|	Himself	With Julie Andrews
''Columbo''
''The Morning After (1974 film)	The Morning After''	Charlie Lester
1976	|	Himself	Emmy for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music SeriesPeople's Choice Award for Favorite Male Performer in a New TV Program
1977	|	Cast member	11 episodes
1979	|	Waldo Chase	Episode: "And a Cup of Kindness Too"
rowspan="3"	1981	|	Charlie	Documentary
''Harry's Battles''	Harry Fitzsimmons
''How to Eat Like a Child (TV special)	How to Eat Like a Child''	Himself
rowspan="2"	1982	|	Frank Elgin	Movie
''Drop-Out Father''	Ed McCall
rowspan="2"	1983	|	Father (voice)	Episode: “Wrong Way Kid” Emmy for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming
''Found Money''	Max Sheppard
1985	|	Les Dischinger	Episode: “Breakfast with Les and Bess”
rowspan="2"	1986	|	Sam Hawthorne	Movie
''Matlock (TV series)	Matlock''	Judge Carter Addison
rowspan="2"	1987	|	Bill Nolan	Movie
''Highway to Heaven''	Wally Dunn
1988	|	Dick Burgess	10 episodes
1989	|	Ken	Episode: “Love Under the Big Top”Nominated: Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
1991	|	Buddy Keys	Movie
1992	|	Dr. Mark Sloan	Movie
rowspan="2"	1993	|	Narrator/Old Jeremy Creek	Voice
''A Twist of the Knife''	Dr. Mark Sloan
1993–2001	|	Dr. Mark Sloan
1999	Becker'' ||	Fred Becker	Episode: “Becker the Elder”
2000	Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' ||	Duke	Episode: “Welcome Back, Duke”
rowspan="2"	2002	|	Dr. Mark Sloan	Movie
''Without Warning''	Dr. Mark Sloan
rowspan="3"	2003	|	Weller Martin	Movie
''The Alan Brady Show''	Webb
''Scrubs (TV series)	Scrubs''	Ken
2004	|	Rob Petrie	Movie
2006	|	Dr. Jonathan Maxwell	Movie
2010	|	Himself
2010–11	|	Himself	2 episodes
2011	Rachael Ray'' ||	Himself

Other works

Stage

''The Girls Against the Boys'' (November 2, 1959 – November 14, 1959)

''Bye Bye Birdie'' (April 14, 1960 – October 7, 1961) (left the show when it moved to the Shubert Theatre)

''The Music Man'' (June 5, 1980 – June 22, 1980) (Revival)

''Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life'' (guest star from January 24, 2006 – January 26, 2006)

Albums

''Bye Bye Birdie'' (Original Cast Album) (1960)

''Bye Bye Birdie'' (Soundtrack) (1963)

''Songs I Like By Dick Van Dyke'' (with Enoch Light & his Orchestra/Ray Charles Singers) (1963)

''Put on a Happy Face'' (with Dick Van Dyke and The Vantastix) (2008)

''Rhythm Train'' (with Leslie Bixler and Chad Smith) (2010)

Books

|last=Van Dyke |first=Dick ||title=Altar Egos |=Westwood, New Jersey |publisher=F. H. Revell Co. |year=1967}} |last=Van Dyke |first=Dick |title=Faith, hope and hilarity |editor=Ray Parker |others=Phil Interlandi (drawings) |location=Garden City, New York |publisher=Doubleday |year=1970}} |last=Van Dyke |first=Dick ||title=My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business |year=2011 |publisher=Crown Archetype |isbn=978-0-307-59223-1}} (Van Dyke's memoir)

References

External links

Dick Van Dyke in Danville, Ill and Crawfordsville, Ind. — PDF Article

At the Museum of Broadcast Communications

"Remembering the Van Dyke Show"

Dick Van Dyke -Disney Legends profile (requires Flash)

Dick Van Dyke talks about his career for the Archive of American Television Arts and Sciences (requires Flash)

Empire - The Worst British Accents Ever - Number 11 - Dick Van Dyke singing in Mary Poppins (1964) (requires Flash)

Category:1925 births Category:Actors from Missouri Category:American dancers Category:American film actors Category:American male singers Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American Presbyterians Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:American tenors Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Jamie Records artists Category:Living people Category:People from Danville, Illinois Category:People from Howell County, Missouri Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:Tony Award winners Category:United States Army Air Forces soldiers

cs:Dick Van Dyke cy:Dick Van Dyke de:Dick Van Dyke et:Dick Van Dyke es:Dick Van Dyke fa:دیک ون دایک fr:Dick Van Dyke id:Dick Van Dyke it:Dick Van Dyke he:דיק ואן דייק nl:Dick Van Dyke ja:ディック・ヴァン・ダイク no:Dick Van Dyke pl:Dick Van Dyke pt:Dick Van Dyke ro:Dick Van Dyke ru:Ван Дайк, Дик sr:Дик ван Дајк sh:Dick Van Dyke fi:Dick Van Dyke sv:Dick Van Dyke tl:Dick Van Dyke

Birthname	Raymond H. LaHood
Office	16th United States Secretary of Transportation
President	Barack Obama
Deputy	John Porcari
Predecessor	Mary Peters
Term start	January 22, 2009
State2	Illinois
District2	18th
Term start2	January 3, 1995
Term end2	January 3, 2009
Predecessor2	Bob Michel
Successor2	Aaron Schock
Office3	Member of the Illinois House of Representatives
Term start3	May 1982
Term end3	January 4, 1983
Birth date	December 06, 1945
Birth place	Peoria, Illinois, United States
Party	Republican Party
Spouse	Kathy LaHood
Religion	Maronite Catholicism
Alma mater	Bradley University
Profession	Teacher }}

Raymond H. "Ray" LaHood (born December 6, 1945) is a Republican politician from Illinois who is currently the United States Secretary of Transportation, having served since 2009. Previously, he represented the Illinois's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms (1995–2009).

Early life and education

LaHood was born in Peoria, Illinois, to Edward M. LaHood, a Lebanese American who managed a restaurant, and Mary A. LaHood (née Vogel), who was of German ancestry. He graduated from Spalding Institute, worked his way through Canton Junior College and Bradley University in Peoria, earning a Bachelors of Science in education and sociology in 1971.

Early career

Following graduation, he taught junior high school social studies at public and Catholic schools, and has said that "teaching kids ... about the constitution and government" stirred his interest in politics.

LaHood was director of the Rock Island County Youth Services Bureau and then district administrative assistant for U.S. congressman Tom Railsback, a Moline, Illinois Republican, from 1977 to 1982. He was appointed in 1982 to fill a vacant seat in the Illinois House of Representatives, serving for nine months, and running for the seat in November 1982, but losing to Democrat Bob DeJaegher. LaHood then became administrative assistant and ultimately the chief of staff to U.S. House minority leader Robert Michel, serving from 1982 until 1994.

U.S. Representative

When Michel announced his retirement in 1994, LaHood ran and won his seat in the House, representing Illinois's 18th congressional district. LaHood was one of only three Republicans elected to the House that year who did not sign on to the Contract with America, Newt Gingrich's manifesto for a Republican majority, and was a member of the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership. In 1997, in an effort to promote bipartisan cooperation, LaHood organized bipartisan retreats for members of Congress.

During his service in Congress, he became well-known among C-SPAN viewers as the presiding officer of more debates than any other member. Most notably, in 1998 he presided over the contentious debate over the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

A strong advocate for preserving the legacy of Abraham Lincoln, LaHood authored a law that established the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, which laid the groundwork for celebrating the 16th President's 200th birthday in 2009. He has also been a lead Capitol Hill supporter for the Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois, and is one of 15 members on the ALBC.

LaHood served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from 1995 until 2000, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence beginning in 1998, and the House Appropriations Committee beginning in 2000. In 2005 he voted against renewing the PATRIOT Act, saying he opposed extending its intrusive police powers.

LaHood was said to be considering a challenge to Governor Rod Blagojevich's re-election bid in 2006, but chose to run for another term in Congress instead. He won the 2006 race against Steve Waterworth by a margin of 147,108 (67%) to 71,106 (33%). On July 26, 2007, LaHood stated he would not seek re-election in 2008.

In August 2007, LaHood received a 0% rating from the conservative and anti-earmark Club for Growth 2007 RePORK Card. He received an 11% rating from the conservative lobbying group Citizens Against Government Waste in August 2007, and holds a lifetime 49% rating from the group.

In 2007 LaHood considered, but later decided against, applying for the post of president of Bradley University.

During the 2008 presidential election, LaHood supported John McCain, but criticized the rallies being held by McCain's vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, saying she should put a stop to the name calling, and that the tactic could backfire. "This doesn't befit the office that she's running for. And frankly, people don't like it," he said.

Secretary of Transportation

On December 19, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama announced that he would nominate Ray LaHood to be the next Transportation Secretary. LaHood's résumé on transport matters was considered thin by some critics, including the ''Wall Street Journal'' despite the fact that he served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee he won praise for his "skills as an arbiter" in being able to bridge sometimes bitter partisan divides in the Congress, something the position would require. Some critics alleged a reputation for pork barrel spending, including in support of campaign contributors. ''The Washington Post'' reported that of the $60 million in earmarks LaHood secured for his district in 2008, $9 million went to campaign donors.

His nomination was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote on January 21, 2009. He was, with Robert Gates, one of two Republican members of the Obama Cabinet.

On February 3, 2010, LaHood was criticized for advice he was asked to give while testifying before a congressional committee regarding Toyota's recall of 2.3 million vehicles due to sudden acceleration, wherein he suggested Toyota owners stop driving their cars. LaHood qualified his statement within an hour and a half of his testimony, spelling out that he meant "owners of any recalled Toyota models (should) contact their local dealer and get their vehicles fixed as soon as possible."

Ray LaHood is a supporter of airline passenger rights to facilities, food and water during lengthy on-aircraft delays. He is also a strong proponent of high-speed rail, saying "This is what the American people want. If you build it, they will come."

LaHood plans to step down as transportation secretary at the end of Obama's first term in 2013. He will not seek any public office after that, and instead enter the private sector.

On December 6, 2011, Secretary LaHood accepted the resignation of FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt, who was charged with drunk driving near his Washington home.

Egypt

On January 21, 2012, LaHood's son, Sam LaHood, was detained by the Egyptian government and not allowed to leave the country as part of a politically charged criminal investigation by the Egyptian government into the activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) monitoring local elections in Egypt. LaHood's son is the Egypt director of the International Republican Institute. The Egyptian government has detained twelve NGO representatives from leaving Egypt.

On February 5, 2012, Egyptian authorities charged LaHood's son and 42 other individuals with "spending money from organizations that were operating in Egypt without a license." Nineteen Americans are part of the 42 charged. The U.S. government has made it clear that $1.5 billion in U.S. aid to Egypt could be withheld if the investigation is not finished quickly. Faiza Abu Naga, Egypt's Minister of International Cooperation, is seen as the person pushing the investigation forward.

Electoral history

Ray LaHood's congressional seat, Illinois's 18th congressional district, has been Republican since 1939.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%" |+ : Results 1994–2006 !|Year ! !|Democrat !|Votes !|Pct ! !|Republican !|Votes !|Pct ! |- |1994 | | | | align="right" |78,332 | |39% | | |Ray LaHood | align="right" |119,838 | align="right" |60% | |* |- |1996 | | |Mike Curran | align="right" |98,413 | |41% | | |Ray LaHood | align="right" |143,110 | align="right" |59% | |- |1998 | | |''(no candidate)'' | align="right" | | | | | |Ray LaHood | align="right" |158,175 | align="right" |100% | |* |- |2000 | | |Joyce Harant | align="right" |85,317 | |33% | | |Ray LaHood | align="right" |173,706 | align="right" |67% | |- |2002 | | |''(no candidate)'' | align="right" | | | | | |Ray LaHood | align="right" |192,567 | align="right" |100% | |- |2004 | | |Steve Waterworth | align="right" |91,548 | |30% | | |Ray LaHood | align="right" |216,047 | align="right" |70% | |- |2006 | | |Steve Waterworth | align="right" |73,052 | |33% | | |Ray LaHood | align="right" |150,194 | align="right" |67% | |-

LaHood did not to seek re-election in 2008, and Barack Obama nominated him to be U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Illinois State Representative Aaron Schock of Peoria won the seat for the Republicans in the 2008 election.

Personal life

LaHood and his wife Kathy have a residence in East Peoria, Illinois. Ray and Kathy have four children--Darin, Amy, Sam, Sara. Their son, Darin LaHood, is a current member of the Illinois Senate. Their other son, Sam LaHood, is currently Director of the International Republican Institute office in Egypt, a nongovernmental organization assisting democratization efforts, which has come under investigation by the Egyptian government; he was denied permission to leave the country because he was told he was on a “no-fly list”.

See also

List of U.S. political appointments that crossed party lines

References

External links

Secretary Ray LaHood at the United States Department of Transportation

Ray LaHood on the Daily Show, December 15, 2009

Profile at SourceWatch

;Articles

LaHood tapped for Obama Cabinet Karen McDonald, ''Peoria Journal Star'', December 17, 2008

The GOP Goes South David S. Broder, "Washington Post," December 28, 2008, on Ray LaHood's selection for the Obama cabinet and what that means for the Republican Party

Ray LaHood: A driving force in White House

|- {{U.S. Secretary box | before= Mary Peters | years= 2009–present | president= Barack Obama | department= Secretary of Transportation}} |- }} |- }}

Category:1945 births Category:American Eastern Catholics Category:American Maronites Category:American people of German descent Category:American politicians of Lebanese descent Category:American people of Arab descent Category:United States congressional aides Category:Illinois Republicans Category:Living people Category:Members of the Illinois House of Representatives Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois Category:Obama Administration cabinet members Category:People from Peoria, Illinois Category:United States Secretaries of Transportation

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